William james houlihan



r w. 1. HOULIHAN.

DEVICE FOR CLEANSING AND POLISHING THE SURFACES OF FLOORS, WALLS, WINDOWS AND THE LIKE.

. APPLICATION FILED AUG-10. IBIS.

,427, Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. f

WILLIAM JAMES HoULIHAN,'0F PRAHRAN', MELBOURNE, vIcroErA, AUSTRALIA.

DEVICE Eon CLEANSING auDroLIsHING THE SURFACES 0E FLOORS, WALLS,

wmnows, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

Application filed August 10, 1918. .Serial No. 249,857.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1821, 41 STAT. I, 1313.)

.Floors, lValls, Windows, and the like, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for washing, drying, oiling or polishing floors, floorcoverings such as carpets, linoleum, oilcloth, and the like, walls, windows, picture glasses and for other such domestic purposes.

The object of the invention is to dispense with the use of the mops and the like at present employed for cleansing and polishingsurfaces of the character mentioned and to provide an improved appliance whereby such operations may be performed with a minimum of labor and fatigue. The invention obviates the arduous task of scrubbing or polishing by hand but it has been designed to give as far as possible the efficient effect of such hand labor.

The invention may be used with water for washing floors or other surfaces or it may be used for polishing with oil and such like compositions or simply as a duster.

According to the invention a cleaning fabric is used which may consist of one or more plies of cloth or other suitable material. This fabric is attached to a flat or substantially flat frame in such a mannerthat it may be quickly attached or removed for cleansing or drying or if desired replaced I by another fabric.

The frame has attached to it the'lower end of a handle. This is preferably pivoted to the frame or to attachments carried thereby ancl means are provided for fixing the handle in an angular position most convenient for use.

Referring to the drawings which form part of this specification Figure 1 is a plan of a fabric.

F g. 2.is an end elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan of a frame.

Fig 4: is a view of Fig. 1 looking in the dlrectlon of the arrow.

Fig. 5 is a view of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of an eyelet ring and reinforcement in the fabric.

Fig. 7 mounted on a frame. moved.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the super structure seen in Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a side sectional elevation.

The handle is re- Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the frame is a plan of a superstructure and super-structure with the fabric attached.

Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation of a socket having a locking screw which passes through the handle and into a boss on the superstructure.

Fig. 12 is a side view of a socket having a limit stop extension.

Fig. 13 is a front view of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14: is a View on a reduced scale of the invention complete.

On reference to the drawings itwill be seen that 2 is a fabric of any suitable mate rial or combination of materials. It is preferably folded back upon itself as seen in Fig. 2. Near each corner of the said fabric are holes 3. At each end of the fabric are situated reinforcing folds f of leather, metal or the like also having holes corresponding with the holes in the fabric. Through the holes in the fabric and the holes in the reinforcing folds are placed eyelet rings 5. 7

With the foregoing is used a frame 7. This may be of wood or any other suitable material.

Above the frame 7 is placed a superstructure9. This has diagonally disposed pin supporting arms 11, from which upstand retaining pins 15. The arms 11 extend from the four corners of the superstructure and through them and also through the body of the said superstructure are screw holes to pass screws 12 for securing the said superstructure to the frame.

I Upstanding from the superstructure is an inclined boss 10 in which is a threaded hole 17.. p Upstanding from the said superstructure are also verticalwalls 13 havmgcentral en'- largements 14. Through each of the en largements is a pin hole accommodating .a lateral pivot pin 16. Pivcted to. the pivot pin 16 is a socket 18 having an extension 20 through which is pivotpin h'ole 19 1to accommodate the pivot pin 16.

The interior of the socket 18"1nay be plairf or threaded. Into the socket is placed the lower endofthei handle 21. This j handle may be locked within the seeker. byffbein'g threaded therein or itmay b'e securedjtherein by a locking pin 22 (Fig. 12) Ora-hole may be drilled through the walls o'f-lthe socket and through the handle 'anditlre' hole threaded. Throughsaid tlireadedhole is then passed a lockingscrew 23 havinga turning head 24, theinner end of this screw being adapted 'to engage the threaded hole in the boss 10. p

Protruding from the socket may be a limit stopextension 25.

To attach the fabric the eyelet ings at one end thereof are passedoventhe retaining pins 15 at oneenid of the frame. The fabric is then passed beneath the'frameand the eyelets at the other end are passed over the other two pinsas seen in Figs. 10 and 17.

If the device is to be used forwashi-ng a floor or other surface the fabric is immersed in a bucket or other utensil containing water and then applied to the surface to be treated. On the handle being moved rapidly to and from the operator the surface is quickly cleansed in a highly efi'ective manner the appliances heing immersed in the water as frequently as may be desired. When it is desired to dry the surface, the fabric maybe quickly removed andwrun'g out or replaced by a clean or dry cloth.

The device may be used in substantially the same manner for polishing surfaces with oil or other compounds in which case-a special fabric may be used forthe Oil or pollshing compound and a separate fabric, forpolishing purposes. Itw'ill'be obvious also that the invention may he usedfor dusting the surfaces of pictures, wallsor the like in which case the fabric may be used in a dry state and may be quickly removed and beaten or otherwise treated to remove surplus dust'as often as-required. k

The boss 10 and the extension 25 on the socket provide limit stops which maintain the handle in correct angular position, :the screw 23 when: used performs the dualfune tionof retaininglthe handle-in a fiited position when it may be necessary and assisting 'to secure it in the socket 18.

-VVhen the limit stop extension is used I the boss 10 may be dispensed with, the lower surface of the extension being adapted to engage the face of the superstructure orthe frame. i

It" will be comprehended that the 'frame 7 maybe of other material and construction than that shownwhich is merely a preferredform. For instance, a frame of-metal or ofwire or other mesh may in some cases be found preferablei Furthermore various modifications or alteratlons may be made in the"form' of the superstructure 9" "which instead of being a casting as shown may be cut from sheet metal, s'iii'tableli'lgs being s an-nee from the metal toprovide bean in'gsforthe pivot pin16. Otherunodilications of a minor character may obviously be made without departing from" the nature,

spirit and scope" of the invention 'as defined 2. A device for cleansing and polishing flcorsand other surfaces com'prisinga substantially flat frame, a superstructure attached to one side of saidflframe, vertical walls tosaid superstructure,a' lateral pivot pin extending between said vertical walls, a handle attached to said late'ralpivot pin, a

boss upstandingfrom' one end of the super structure, and a locking screw passing through the handle and engaging said boss.

3. A device for cleaning and polishing floors and the like; comprising a frame, a

superstructure attached to one side ofthe frame and having a pair of longitudinal side walls, an internally threaded boss formed upon one :end of the superstructure and arranged between the side walls, a trans verse pivot pin connecting the side walls and arranged near their centers, a handle on the pivot pin, a boss, a screw passingthrough said handle and into said boss to lock the handle thereto, and a cleaniiigvelement carried by the frame. L

4:. A device for cleaning andlfpolishing floors and the like, comprising. a frame, a superstructure attached to one side ofithe frame and having a pair of longitudinal side Walls, an internally threaded boss formed through the handle and into the boss to look upon one end of the superstructure and arthe socket thereto, and a cleaning element ranged between the side walls, a-transverse carried by the frame. 10

pivot pin connecting the side walls and ar- In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature. ranged near their centers, a socket mounted WM. JAMES HOULIHAN. on the pivot pin a handle having one end Witness: extending into the socket, a screw passing CEOILW. MOPLASTEAD. 

